Already clicked or paid?

If money has left your account

1. Call your bank or card provider now. Use the number on your card or on the bank’s official website. Say “I’ve been the victim of fraud” and ask whether the payment can be recalled or blocked. The sooner, the better the odds.
2. If you paid by card, ask for a chargeback and a replacement card. If you paid by bank transfer, ask them to contact the receiving bank.
3. If you paid with gift cards, contact the gift-card company with the card numbers and receipts. If you used a crypto ATM or exchange, contact the operator at once; recovery is rare but reports help.
4. Don’t pay any “recovery service” that contacts you. They are often the same people.

If you gave away a password or a code

1. Change that password now, on the real site, typing its address yourself. Then change it everywhere else you used it.
2. Turn on two-step verification, using an authenticator app or a security key rather than text messages if you can.
3. Check the account’s recovery email and phone number. Scammers often change them first.
4. Sign out of all devices from the account’s security settings.

If you only clicked a link

Often nothing happened beyond a web page loading. Close it. Don’t enter anything. If you downloaded or installed something, disconnect from the internet, run your device’s built-in security scan, and consider restoring from a backup.

If you gave away ID details

1. Tell your bank. Ask about extra checks on your accounts.
2. Where you live, consider placing a fraud alert or freeze with the credit reporting agencies.
3. Keep a note of what you shared, to whom, and when.

Then report it

Reporting doesn’t usually get your money back by itself, but it helps others, and some agencies can help victims directly. Keep screenshots, messages, numbers and payment records.

Feeling embarrassed is normal, and it’s exactly what scammers count on to keep you quiet. Telling someone you trust is a good next step.